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The Devastating Role of Cultural Bigotry in Our Outreach to Hindus by D.D The Devastating Role of Cultural Bigotry in Our Outreach to Hindus by D.D. Pani The Current Status of the Bigotry Stumbling Block in India uring the age of Western exploration and expansion that began in the mid-15th century, Europeans believed that there was nothing D they could learn from non-Europeans.1 In short, they suffered from a “superiority complex,” believing in the supremacy of European culture and of the Western form of Christianity (see [2] for a more in depth treatment). As they advanced, the imperialist forces of Europe simply rejected most of the foreign ideas—whether philosophical, ethical, religious,1 sociological and, in some cases, even scientific—that they encountered along the way. For they had concluded that if Western Christian culture is superior (and universal), then all “pagan” cultures are not simply inferior, but evil. Regrettably, for over 500 years now the Western Christian view that Hindu culture is both inferior and evil has helped to minimize the progress of the gospel within the Hindu world. In India today, such attitudes—held by large numbers of Western missionaries—strongly permeate the baptized Indian Church. Offspring of the missionary movement in India, the now highly westernized Indian Church (westernized both in the various religious forms it follows and the Euro-American Christian sub-culture it seeks to emulate) tends to feed and reinforce a fundamental bias against Hindu culture. Tragically, many of today’s reputed Christian spokesmen for India, both Indian and Western, are still unable to distinguish Hindu culture from the Hindu religion. And when the Western missionary community and the Indian Church heed these sincere (but misguided) spokesmen, they not only perpetuate the cycle, but reinforce each other’s attitudes. The newly arrived Western missionary is soon taking his cues from the prejudiced Indian Dr. D. D. Pani is a textbook author Church while the Indian Church is further influenced by the negatively pre- and has published a large number of conditioned Western missionary. And Hindu culture continues to be viewed as international journal articles. Over the evil because cannot bring salvation. last three decades, Dr. Pani has spent the Hindu religion considerable time in India. Though he As a result of this bigotry, the Western missionary usually only feels com- and his wife are currently residents of Pennsylvania, he continues to travel fortable focusing on the Indian Church; he is practically incapable of engag- extensively in the Indian subcontinent. ing the Hindu world. Thus (by one estimate), the percentage of Western International Journal of Frontier Missions 22:2 Summer 2005•57 58 The Devastating Role of Cultural Bigotry in our Outreach to Hindus D.D. Pani 59 missionaries engaging Hindus directly today rounds off to zero, ecause of bigotry, the Western missionary is not with 96% focusing on the baptized engaging the Hindu, nor are his baptized Indian Indian Church and 4% focusing on the non-Hindu tribals. As for the disciples able to do so. highly westernized Indian Church BThus, in India today, Western bigotry gage (and Western Christian sub- (which has been trained by the West represents a significant hindrance to cultural baggage) they had inherited. to abhor Hindu culture), it has become the advance of the gospel. Because Had they foreseen the results of so isolated from mainstream Hindu of bigotry, the Western missionary their attitudes and actions, most culture that it is now fairly ignorant of is not engaging the Hindu, nor are would have been appalled and taken the Hindu religion. Moreover, as the his baptized Indian disciples able to immediate steps to change. Rather Indian Church increasingly adopts the do so. And when a potential Hindu than judge the great people who have cultural trappings of the West (of the seeker finds himself despised and gone before, we must learn from various “sub” [i.e., “Christian”] and also unengaged (abandoned), his will- Hindu reactions to their passionate, of some of the various “primary” [i.e., ingness to consider Christ is greatly but culturally flawed attitudes and “secular”] Western cultures), the chasm undermined. actions. Then, for a better future, we between Indian Christians and Hindus must make changes appropriate to the only widens. Proposed Solutions to the realities of Hindu culture. Unfortunately, many Western Problem of Cultural Bigotry But how do we become precondi- missionaries in India minister only “Are you the Expected One, or do we tioned to such an extent that, even to westernized Indian Christians in look for someone else?” John the Baptist with the Holy Spirit in us, we (like the idealistic belief (hope) that their asked Jesus through one of his mes- John the Baptist and Peter) continue efforts will “eventually” result in 5 sengers. In response, after perform- to hold on tightly to outdated atti- Hindus being reached, a pursuit that ing several miracles in front of John’s tudes, actions, strategies, methodolo- has borne minimal fruit. Instead, disciples, Christ sent this sharp public gies, traditions, etc.—especially when their presence and ministry simply rebuke back to John: “Blessed is he God’s new prophets of transition are make the Indian Christian even 6 who keeps from stumbling over Me.” revealing these things to be outdated more Western and thus generally More than fifteen years later we see or incorrect? Since our knowledge less capable of reaching the Hindu. another giant in conflict with his will always be incomplete,8 why are Thankfully, there are exciting spiritual counterpart to the Jews. Paul we unwilling to incorporate new data exceptions. publicly blasts Peter, asking: “If you when it comes our way? And how Perhaps even more disconcerting, the being a Jew, live like the Gentiles and can we train others (and ourselves) to perceptive Hindu is not blind to the not like the Jews, how do you compel the overcome these tendencies so that 1) 7 combined prejudice of the Western Gentiles to live like Jews?” we don’t become an additional source of missionary and the Indian Church If the greatest man born of woman negative preconditioning, and so that toward him. Instead he is repulsed and the apostle to whom Jesus had 2) the existing biases of others following by it.3 While the Hindu intelligen- entrusted the keys of the kingdom us can be eliminated? These are major tsia is still generally tolerant, what both had trouble understanding questions that must be answered if we are they to conclude from the failure God’s transitions, certainly the same are going to be able to effectively seek of Western Christians or the Indian must be common to all born of the and save the lost of India. Church to initiate much credible dia- Spirit. This is especially likely in A first step toward answering these logue in their direction? True, some ministries involving cross-cultural questions is to look very briefly at relatively small effort is being directed transitions. Should we expect it to be the way Christ “trained bigotry out toward the lowest elements of Hindu any different for those in the Western of His disciples” while operating in culture, with a much larger effort Missionary Movement (WMM) who their own Jewish culture. Next, we among non-Hindu tribals. Despite have gone before us? will look at several realities of Hindu very large numbers of non-baptized culture that must be properly under- Hindu Christ followers living among Before considering possible solutions stood before we can properly accept Hindus in parts of India,4 throughout to the Problem of Cultural Bigotry, we and disciple the new Hindu believer most of India the Hindu mainstream should make one thing clear. That is, in Christ. Finally, we will delineate and India’s intelligentsia have been despite their failings, the efforts of a number of bold directives to help largely ignored. Those who should most of the Westerners who came to the West overcome their part in the be the light of Christ to the perceptive serve Christ in India were inimitable, problem of cultural bigotry in India. Hindu are not engaging him! Instead, and their general sincerity beyond assuming the above statistics to be at question. They were simply victims How Christ “Trained Bigotry Out least representative, the mainstream of the problem of Western cultural of His Disciples” Hindu has been abandoned—and alas bigotry, themselves forced to carry The reader is referred to the discus- he knows it.3 with them the Western cultural bag- sion in [2] on solutions to the Problem International Journal of Frontier Missions 22:2 Summer 2005 58 The Devastating Role of Cultural Bigotry in our Outreach to Hindus D.D. Pani 59 of Superiority of Culture. In this the Sanhedrin. Many other examples rights revolutionary or a trouble- reference it is explained why it was so could be given. maker. He lived in submission to essential for Christ to train bigotry Rather than suggesting that Christ oppression and taught His followers 11 out of the Twelve. By using a harmony accommodated the evil of the Jewish to do the same. As later revelations of the Gospels one can readily obtain culture, these examples show that His in the New Testament clearly show, Christ’s strategy for accomplishing approach to rooting out the Apostles’ Christ did not train His disciples to this task. bigotry did not include turning them rebel against either Jewish culture The goal of Christ’s training was against their own heritage. To turn or Jewish religious tradition. At the not only to prepare the Apostles to them against their own partially time of the leadership of James (the reach the Gentile, the Samaritan, the flawed culture would have only served brother of Jesus) we find the Jewish unclean, the outcaste and the lowly.
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